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I know the film is quite different from the reading, but I want to talk about the actual film itself and how it does something a book can’t.

I took a class called Wring on Film last year in high school. Since then I have always thought it was interesting to look at the small details and Mise en scene. The short story “Sonny’s Blues” was filled with many great examples of Mise en scene. When the film begins Sonny is playing the piano. He makes it sounds awful and it is almost painful to listen to. I think that Gregory Scott Jr. had the film open like this because it sets the mood. No characters need to say anything in order for viewers to know that there is something wrong with Sonny. Toward the end of the film the music lightens up and so does the lighting.  The piano music in the background is much softer and easy to listen to. The lighting is much brighter. This is showing that by Sonny going through the “dark” phase in his life he is able to pull through being addicted to Heroine and going to jail.